Flooding

Saturday morning, Jim went with the Archbishop to inspect the damage in the Northern Region affected by recent flooding. The areas they visited had lost some homes and fields of crops but conditions were not as bad as those reported further north and in the northeast where over 19,000 homes collapsed (most built of mud brick) and 90,000 people were left homeless. In the most hard-hit areas, 70 % of the farmlands were submerged and over 10,000 livetock were lost. Many roads were washed away with some districts virtually cut off from the rest of the region. When bridges and roads are destroyed, a trip usually taking 30 minutes could now be six hours.
The floods have brought back the black flies whose bite causes river blindness and people also have to deal with the reptiles whose habitats have been covered with water and which now seek refuge for survival.
After a serious draught, many Ghanaians are indeed thankful for the torrential rains but a deep commitment is necessary to help the unfortunate ones who have been made to sacrifice a great deal for the potential benefit of the rest of the country.